In a conventional image forming apparatus, a development device forms a toner image on a medium. The medium on which the unfixed toner image is formed is carried to a fuser. The fuser fixes the unfixed toner image on the medium.
The medium from the development device can be curled since a pressure is applied to the medium by various rollers. Accordingly, the medium cannot be correctly carried to a fuser and thereby the unfixed toner image can be scraped, or a jam of the medium can occur prior to the fixture of the toner image.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. H11-338290 and 2009-7080 describe a guide means that correctly guides a curled medium to a fuser while the medium is carried from a development device to the fuser.
The above-discussed Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. H11-338290 and 2009-7080 recite that the medium, which is to be carried to the fuser, is guided so that the medium is correctly carried to the fuser.
However, even immediately after the medium has been exited from the development device, the curled medium touches a housing of the development device on the medium exit side. Thereby, the unfixed toner image on the medium surface can be scraped.
For example, degrees of the curls on media significantly differ depending on qualities of the media used. For example, in a case when a recycled sheet or special sheet is used as media, a large curl can be generated. When a medium having such curl is exited from the development device, the medium can contact the housing of the development device.
In such a case, when the toner image has been transferred to the medium by a transfer part and when the medium has been exited from the development device, the curled medium surface touches the housing that is on the downstream side of the exit and thereby an image scrape can occur, meaning that the unfixed toner image on the medium surface is scraped.
Therefore, one of objects of the present invention is to provide a development device and an image forming apparatus that prevent a curled medium from contacting a housing of the development device on a medium exit side and an unfixed toner image on the medium surface from being scraped after the medium has been exited from the development device.